Will sledding with Duke, Sasha, Isabella and
2 foster dogs; Skye and Beau 2003

It all began in 1991, when Will Cowie and his wife Margaret purchased their first Siberian Husky.  He was black and white and they named him Czar.  In 1992 they were at a veterinarian office and saw a newspaper dedicated to pet issues and adoptions.  That is when they discovered what was then called Yankee Siberian Husky Rescue League.  They saw a photo of a red and white waiting for a home.  They contacted the organization and then had their home interview in order to be screened for the adoption of Ivan the Red.  They received the approval of the rescue league, so they made the trip to meet Ivan and introduce him to Czar and see if the two dogs would get along.  It seemed like it was destiny for the two dogs to meet and become “brothers”.  The adoption rule was they had to wait for 24 hours before they could proceed with the adoption and take Ivan home with them.  So they did just that.

The next day they signed the paperwork and absorbed the recommendations of adopting and getting two dogs to get along.  The minute they put Ivan in the truck with Czar it was basically an instant bond.  It was as if they had longed to find each other like human siblings separated early in life.

After returning home the dogs were fed.  They seemed to get along better than anticipated.  At bedtime, as suggested, the two dogs were separated so neither one would be offended about sleeping quarters.  Well, Ivan was not having that at all.  He sang his entire collection of Husky opera for several hours.  No one was getting any sleep in the house that night.  Will and Margaret decided to let nature take its course and freed Ivan from the kitchen and his sleeping quarters.  He immediately ran upstairs, jumped onto the bed and curled up with Czar and all went to sleep as if it were meant to be that way.  It remained that way for the next 14 years of Ivan’s life.

Ivan’s new life included riding in the truck with Will and sometimes Margaret everywhere.  He went to the corner store, the beach, and the woods and to work with his new “dad”.   He was like the captain of a ship.  The front seat was the only way Ivan would sail…  Czar was happy lying on the seat or on the floor of the truck while Ivan held his head out the window and navigated the trip.  He would have been happy as the hood ornament too.  Ivan seemed as if he knew he got a second chance at life and had the best family he could have asked for.

Will giving sled dog display at Berlin
elementary school with Ivan and Duke

Sledding on Tremlett Street, Billerica, MA
after a snow storm 1999

After a few months Will and Margaret discovered Yankee Siberian Husky Club.  They attended a meeting to see what it was all about.  They liked what they saw and ended up becoming members.  They were mostly into hiking with the dogs but soon were bitten by the dog sledding bug.  They attended a working day in autumn near Cape Cod.  Ivan and Czar took a test run with a team.  Czar didn’t much care for it at first.  They were told Ivan already knew his commands though.  That was inspiring to them.  They volunteered to work Sandwich Notch.   They could not believe the energy in the air from all the dogs being readied to hit the trail and do their best to win the race.  It seemed like total chaos but the experience was exhilarating.   Shortly after that they acquired equipment piece by piece to test their team on a snowy trail.  Will was that way about everything he tried.  He would jump in with both feet without looking back.  He had a great thirst for adventure and learning something new. 

Will and Margaret ended up adopting more dogs after joining Rescue and putting effort into fundraising and ideas on how to successfully rescue more unwanted or mistreated Siberians.  They also got a puppy from a friend in the sledding community.  Now with their four dogs they did some sledding on their own at Phillips Brook in northern New Hampshire.  After awhile Ivan got too old to run and it wore on his body.  His regal spirit was devastated.  So Will would take off with three dogs and Margaret would drive the truck to meet him at the end.  She would then walk Ivan in, harnessed and eager and meet Will.  Then Ivan was hooked up to the gangline and finished the trail with the team.  He was a proud dog.  Then of course at the end of the run there were lamb meatballs to be had.  Perhaps Ivan knew that and felt if he didn’t earn them he wouldn’t get any.  Dogs are smarter than you give them credit for. 

Eventually, Will and Margaret moved to the Great North Woods of New Hampshire.  There, they would meet a couple who had two Siberians.  Later they discovered their master was being treated for cancer.  They ended up taking the two dogs into their home until she could undergo treatments and get the clear from her doctors to bring the dog’s home again.  All the dogs got along well for the most part.  The sledding on the property they owned and other trails in the area was fantastic now with five dogs running.  Will did all he could to juggle work, sledding and community volunteer efforts.  It made him happy to be so involved. 

Will at Working Day in NH with
Ivan and Lexi 1997

Will getting ready for leisure sled
adventure at Phillips Brook 2002

In August 2005, at age 17, Ivan passed away.  It broke the hearts of Will and Margaret.  Then their oldest female, Sasha was injured and could no longer pull sled either.  Soon the sledding dwindled.  In the meantime, Will would run two dogs in harness on his mountain bike.  He would get together with other musher’s and their teams to help with training.  He would also get involved with winter festivals in the area and help give rides to those curious about the sport.  After all, he still had his sled and two dogs that were thrilled about running with other teams. 

Eventually, hiking began to fill the sledding void.  They lived in the heart of the White Mountains and were so close to great trails.  In autumn and spring almost every weekend was dedicated to hiking.  They would put the packs on the dogs and themselves and hit the high trails and enjoy the fresh air, scenery, dipping in the brooks, the occasional critter and best of all simple time together with each other and their four legged “children”.

Everyone who knew Will, whether it be a musher, a politician, someone he did volunteer work or community service with, a neighbor or a passerby on the street knew how much he loved his dogs.  Wherever you saw Will you were certain to see his dogs in the truck or on leash with him.  After Ivan died, Will kept some of his ashes in the truck with him in a velvet pouch hand sewn with Ivan’s regal spirit in mind.  He was happy to still have Ivan go everywhere with him.

On August 26, 2008 Will was tragically killed.  Now he is in heaven and has reunited with his precious Ivan and Czar at the Rainbow Bridge.  May anyone who runs dogs or adopts dogs through Patriot Siberian Husky Rescue have Will’s spirit and truly love the dogs as he did.

Author

Margaret Cowie